Automatic pressure-regulator for gas-governors



(No Model.)

W. HELME.

AUTOMATIC PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR GAS GOVERNORS.

No. 328,942. Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

WITNESSES: I INVENTOR 64 w 2 9a 25 fim a/lhfj a a, 62m

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HELME, on PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC PRESSURE-REGULATOR FOR GAS-GOVERNORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,942, dated October 27, 1885. Application filed September 11. 1885. Serial No. 176,773. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern/,-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HELME, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Gas-Governors, of which the followingisaspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in automatic gas governors or regulators in which the pressure is regulated in proportion to the quantity of gas discharged and passing through the governor.

Gas in passing through pipes is retarded in its flow by friction, and the farther it travels the greater the reduction of pressure and force at the escaping-point, the pressure at the starting-point remaining the same. This being the case it is necessary to maintain a higher pressure at the governor, which is located near the gas-holder, than is required in the center of the city, where it escapes and is used. The difference of pressure is further augmented by the variation in amount of gas required from hour to hour until the maximum amount is reached. To obviate this the pressure is increased at the governor as the consumption or flow increases by placing additional weights 011 the float controlling the escape-valve. When the demand for gas falls off, the pressure in the street-pipes increases, rendering it necessary to remove the weights, or a part of them, from the float. This requires the attention of a man who is stationed at the governor, and who cannot know just what the pressure is at the point of delivery, and hence he is liable to make mistakes.

The object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty by securing a pressure at the outlet of the governor, which shall depend upon and be in proportion to the amount of gas passing out, the pressure increasing as the amount increases, and vice versa.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a central sectional elevation of a gas-governor furnished with my automatic pressure-regulator, the governor being closed, and Fig. 2 a central sectional elevation, the governor being open.

to the top and open at both ends, but secured at the lower end to prevent the escape of the water. The float A is provided with a pipe, D, large enough to pass freely over the pipe 0. This pipe D is securedto the crown of the float A in such a way as to prevent the escape of the gas or air that may be held between it and the surface of the water contained in B. Through the interior of these pipes, suspended from the crown of the float, is a rod, E, provided with a disk, a, on which to place weights, anda hook, b, on which to hang the vessel F. Close to this vessel is placed the tank G, which remains stationary. Fixed in the tank G is a siphon, 0, one leg of which extends into G and the other into F. Should the vessel F and the tank G be placed in the position shown in Fig. 1, and each half-filled with a fluid, and the siphon filled with the same, the fluid from the tank would be discharged through the siphon into the vessel F in proportion to the distance the vesselwould be lowered, as shown in Fig. 2. Should the vessel and tank be of the same area, and the vessel lowered six inches, three inches of fluid would be discharged from G into F, which would be added to the weight already on the float. This would increase the opening of the governor valve, and thereby increase the pressure at outlet and the place of discharge in the city. This action would continue until the maximum of discharge is reached, making it possible to maintain a uniform pressure at the point of delivery, while the pressure at the outlet of governor would increase with the increased discharge of gas in the city.

Fig. 1 shows the vessel F and tank G on the same level,with the same quantity of fluid in each, and the valve K of governor closed. Fig. 2 shows the bucket or vessel F in a lower position, .with a portion of the fluid transferred from the tank G to it, and the valve H raised from its seat, allowing the gas to pass out.

The raising of the valve is caused by the pressing of the float A on the air confined between it and the water in tank B, which has no way of escape but by the small pipe 'I, which forms the connection between the float and governor, as shown. a

When the escaping gas is shut off by the consumers, a reaction takes place, and the pressure is increased thereby in the city. This increase of pressure reaches the governor and causes the valve H to descend and the float A to rise, carrying with it the vessel F. When F is raised a part of the fluid which it carries is discharged back into G. This will continue until the pressure is reached that existed at the beginning when the vessel and tank stood on the same level.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The gas passes from the gas-holder (notshown) through the governor .and from thenceto the street-mains. If no gas is being taken from the main, the pressure'in the gasholder and in the main will be the same, and the valve H in the ;governo r will be in the position shown in Fig. 1'that is, closed. When the consumption of gas begins, the pressure on the main is reduced in proportion to the amount of thegas being used, and the pressure in the gasholder acting under the valve H, while the pressure above the valve H is less than below, being the same as that in the streetmain, causes the valve H to rise, and the gas passes from the holder under valve H to the main. The raising of the valve H causes a partial vacuum between this valve (or, rather, the

- cylinder carried by the valve) and the water or liquid in which it floats, and as one end of the pipe 1 opens into the space inclosed between the water and this valve, and the other end opens into the air orgas space in the float A, a certain amount of air or gas will pass through the pipe I from float A to the space between valve H and the water in which it floats. This causes a lowering of the float A and of the vessel F. When the vessel F is lowered, the liquid in tank G will be trans ferred to F through the siphon 0 until thel liquid in tank G and vessel F are at the same 1 level. lhis automatically increases the weight 1 upon the float A, and the pressure is increased 1 at the governor. When the amount of gas;

drawn from the main decreases, thepressurej in the main increases and valve H falls, and the air or gas contained in the space between i the valve H and the water in which it floats is compressed and passes through the pipe I to float A and raises float A and vessel F. The liquid in F is now siphoned off into tank G. This continues until the pressure in the gasholder and in the main are equal.

The weight of the liquid which passes from tank G to vessel F, or vice versa, for any given fall or rise of F, may be readily calculated, and would depend upon the capacity of the vessel F.

The arrangement of the vessel F and tank G may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of my invention. For infstance, F could be carried upon the top of float A, and G be supported alongside of it.

The arrangement shown in the drawings I consider the best and most convenient; but I do not desire to limit myself to this particular arrangement.

Gas governors and valves for them are madein a great variety of ways, the one shown in the vdrawings being the invention of William Foulis, and known as the Foulis Gas- Governor. My invention is not only applicable to the gas-governor shown in the drawings, but to all other forms of gas governors that I have any knowledge of..

I am aware that automatic pressure-changing devices for gas-governors have before been known, and hence I do not claim an automatic pressure-changing device, broadly; but

What I do claim is 1. In combination with a gas-governor, the tank B, float A, pipe I, vessel F, tank G, and siphon c, all constructed as shown, and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes-set forth.

2. The combination, with a gas governor, of the tank B with pipe 0, float A with pipe D, pipe I, rod E, vessel F, tank G, and siphon c, all constructed as shown, and adapted to operate substantially as set forth.

3. The herein -described device for automatically regulating the weight upon the float A, consisting of the tank G and vessel F, both of which contain some fluid, and which are.

connected by a siphon, c, the whole arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM HELME. Witnesses:

JOHN W. PATTON, CHAS. A. BUTTER. 

